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NEWS IN CHINA

• Wang Yi Meets Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Ahead of President’s Visit to China: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev in Beijing. Both leaders reaffirmed the two countries’ commitment to deepening their permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. Wang noted Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will soon visit China to attend the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance, where the two heads of state are expected to hold strategic discussions to advance bilateral cooperation. He further stated that China is willing to work with Kazakhstan to implement the consensus reached by their leaders, expand practical cooperation, strengthen strategic mutual trust, and support Kazakhstan’s development path. He also welcomed Kazakhstan’s decision to join the International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed) and expressed readiness to cooperate in upholding international fairness and justice. Kosherbayev congratulated the Communist Party of China on its 105th founding anniversary and described the close relationship between the two presidents as the foundation of bilateral ties. He reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s adherence to the one-China principle and support for China’s core interests.​
  
  
• China Unveils First Five-Year Plan Focused on Expanding Domestic Consumption: China has released its first-ever dedicated Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) focused exclusively on expanding domestic consumption, signalling a shift towards strengthening consumer demand as a key driver of economic growth. The plan targets total retail sales of consumer goods of around 60 trillion yuan by 2030. The plan outlined 28 tasks across six crucial areas, including raising household incomes, stabilising employment, increasing minimum wages, improving social security, and expanding spending on healthcare, education, childcare, elderly care, culture, tourism, and sports services. According to the authorities, these measures are aimed at reducing household financial burdens, encouraging spending, and improving living standards while addressing structural challenges such as high savings rates and uneven consumption. The plan also seeks to improve the consumer environment by removing unnecessary restrictions and enhancing public services. Beyond domestic objectives, officials said the strategy could reshape global trade by boosting China's imports and consumption. The plan also proposes expanding visa-free access, streamlining tax refund procedures, increasing international flight capacity, and promoting the "Shopping in China" initiative to attract overseas consumers.
  
  
• Wang Huning Meets Vietnamese Delegation to Advance China-Vietnam Ties: China's top political advisor Wang Huning met with a delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) led by Le Minh Tri, member of the CPV Politburo and chairman of the CPV Central Committee's Commission for Internal Affairs, in Beijing. Wang, also chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), highlighted the close strategic communication between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Vietnamese General Secretary To Lam. He added that the recent agreements reached by the two leaders have provided strategic guidance for strengthening ties between the two parties and countries. Wang said China is ready to work with Vietnam to implement the consensus reached by their leaders and further advance the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future. He added that the CPPCC would contribute to deepening bilateral relations. Le Minh Tri congratulated the Communist Party of China on its 105th anniversary and expressed appreciation for China's development experience and global initiatives under Xi Jinping's leadership. He said Vietnam is willing to strengthen cooperation with China, implement leaders' agreements, and promote the development of a Vietnam-China community with a shared future.
  
  
• China Issues Plan to Strengthen Solid Waste Management During 15th Five-Year Plan: Six Chinese government departments, including the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the National Development and Reform Commission, have released a plan to strengthen solid waste pollution prevention and control during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030). The plan aims to achieve significant progress in solid waste treatment by 2030, effectively address accumulated waste, curb widespread illegal dumping and disposal, and improve the country’s overall solid waste management capacity. China also plans to establish an integrated digital supervision network covering key areas and build a number of “zero-waste cities”. The measures focus on coordinated governance and risk prevention across the entire solid waste management chain. The targeted treatment will be carried out for illegal solid waste dumping, waste stored in karst caves, phosphogypsum storage sites, municipal solid waste landfills, and hazardous waste landfills. The plan also sets requirements for the management of industrial and hazardous waste, discarded electrical and electronic products, retired new-energy equipment, and solid waste generated from households, construction, and agricultural activities.
  
  
• China Holds National Conference to Strengthen Grassroots Trade Unions: China held the National "Small Third-Level" Trade Union Work Promotion Conference in Beijing to review progress in strengthening grassroots trade unions and outline priorities for future development. The meeting focused on implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's guidance on trade union work and advancing the three-year action plan for building "small third-level" trade unions. According to the officials, progress has been made in expanding organisational coverage, improving resource support, and strengthening the role of grassroots trade unions. The conference emphasised the importance of extending trade union services to the grassroots level, strengthening Party leadership, and improving support for workers, particularly migrant workers and those in new forms of employment. The meeting also called for improving organisational standards, enhancing resource allocation, and building stronger local trade unions capable of safeguarding workers' rights and providing better services. Participants exchanged experiences from trade union initiatives in Shanghai, Anhui, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Shenzhen, Hebei, and Zhejiang, highlighting efforts to strengthen trade unions in industrial parks, villages, communities, and regional industries. Officials from provincial trade unions and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions marked their attendance at the conference.
  
  

SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

​Weibo Users React to Alleged Fake Grain Production Targets by Village Cadres: A Weibo post is going viral that alleged irregularities in rice cultivation reporting in Jianghua County, Hunan Province. According to the post, local authorities allegedly used a “visual range farming method” to make fields appear fully cultivated to meet the given planting target. It further claimed that some village cadres became “fake grain-growing households” during inspections. The post triggered widespread discussion among users. One user commented, "This reflects the helplessness of farmers and grassroots cadres. Grain is encouraged for food security, but it is not profitable." While another added, "The common tricks of village cadres nowadays." A third said, "If people don't grow cash crops, how can they make a living?" Many users expressed similar concerns and argued that local officials often prioritise meeting targets over actual agricultural conditions. Some also drew comparable experiences with high-standard farmland projects that existed largely on paper, while others called for thorough investigations into grain subsidy fraud and stricter audits of reported cultivation figures.

INDIA WATCH

Guancha discusses India’s Proposed Visa Reforms to Revive Tourism: An article on Guancha discussed India’s proposed series of tourism reforms aimed at boosting inbound travel. The proposal included expanding visa-on-arrival eligibility and streamlining the country's electronic visa system. The article referred to a report jointly released by NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Tourism. The reforms include introducing a 90-day multiple-entry tourist visa for eligible countries, simplifying visa applications, improving the e-visa portal, expanding international payment options, and enhancing immigration infrastructure under the Immigration, Visa, Alien Registration and Tracking (IVFRT) project. The article further highlighted visa procedures, infrastructure, accommodation, and service quality as key drivers of tourism growth and argued that reducing regulatory barriers would help unlock the sector's potential. The article, however, argued that visa reforms alone are unlikely to address deeper structural challenges. Citing parliamentary data, it stated that less than 6.6 per cent of the Ministry of Tourism's allocated budget was utilised in the previous fiscal year, while a major infrastructure programme spent only 3.4 per cent of its budget. The article also noted that foreign tourist arrivals reportedly declined in 2025 and concluded that improving public services, infrastructure, and destination management will be critical for any long-term recovery.